BOSTON — Dozens of striking fast food workers and progressive activists spent Thursday picketing and protesting outside numerous fast food eateries across the city, calling for a higher minimum wage, better benefits for service workers, and representation in their workplace.

The protests were part of a coordinated national effort to raise awareness about the plight of low-wage workers in the fast food industry and the service sector of the economy as a whole. The protesters targeted fast food restaurants like McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, and Wendy's during a day of action that took them to all corners of the city.

At a protest in Dorchester, approximately two dozen activists and fast food workers picketed on the sidewalk outside the KFC on Columbus Road while customers and workers looked on. Workers inside the restaurant declined to speak on the record about the protests but outside Maria Mendes of Dorchester, a KFC employee for five years, said she struggles to put food on the table for her five-month-old child while going to college.

"If I keep working here the money's not going to be enough to handle school, the baby, and all the other stuff," said Mendes, 20.

Mendes said she found out about the protests from one of her coworkers and that even her boss was supportive of the plan. Five years ago when she started at KFC she made $8 an hour and today she makes $9 but without any benefits like insurance or a 401k.

"I think things may change after we do this. At least to $10 or $11. I am not saying $15 though but more than $10 would be better," Mendes said.

The organizers, MassUniting, brought together workers from fast food restaurants across the area to protest at eateries beyond their place of employment. Leroy Thorp of Roxbury joined in the picket line outside the KFC even though he usually spends his days working behind the counter at the McDonald's on Tremont Street, where he's been employed for the last five months for $8 an hour.

"I don't get that much work and if I have to get fired just to get a raise for other people, I would do it. I would go for it," Thorp, 18, said.

Jennifer Jimenez, 25, said that part of her problem was getting enough hours each week at her part-time job at a Dunkin Donuts in Roslindale. She's worked at Dunkin Donuts for four years in two different locations. Jimenez makes $8.50 an hour and is never able to get more than 22 hours per week.

"It's kind of hard to get shifts. If I could I would work four days a week instead of three," Jimenez said.

She is actively looking for more work and has an interview on Friday with a security firm for a job as a watchman.

One of the key leaders at the KFC protest, SEIU Local 509 organizer Jason Stephany, said that the movement in the fast food industry was primarily about wages and benefits.

"What these workers are going on strike for today is improved wages, better benefits and working conditions, and ultimately a voice and diginity in the workplace," said Stephany, adding that unionization isn't the ultimate goal for them at the moment.

The Massachusetts portion of the broader national labor movement in the service and retail sector is tied into two 2014 state ballot initiatives that will link increases in the minimum wage to the cost of living index and enshrine what's known as "earned sick time" into state law for workers.

Minimum wage in Massachusetts is $8.00, while the federally mandated minimum wage is $7.25. Washington has the highest minimum wage in the country at $9.19 an hour.

At a rally of over 250 people at the Bandstand on Boston Common, speaker after speaker talked about the plight of everyday workers and many brought up the issue of raising the Commonwealth's minimum wage.

Senator Ed Markey spoke highly of the ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in Massachusetts. "It has to start here. We have to be the leader here in Massachusetts. It's imperative for us to stand up and to say 'As usual Massachusetts is first,'" Markey said.

"The minimum wage has to be increased on an ongoing basis," he said.

Five candidates for mayor were on hand at the bandstand rally: State Representative Marty Walsh, City Councilor Felix Arroyo, John Barros, Charles Clemons, and Bill Walczak.

"We have to help the very poor come up and if that means that McDonald's and Burger King and Wendy's and the rest of them have to pay a little more money, than let's make them pay a little more money. That's what it's all about," said Walsh.

Some candidates did not participate in the rally on the Common but attended other organized protest events during the day.

"It's unacceptable when businesses retaliate against employee organizing or if they force employees to rely on Commonwealth benefits instead of paying those workers a fair, living wage to begin with," said City Councilor Mike Ross, a mayoral candidate, in a statement.